


once yours (now mine)

by likeuwuahh



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/F, based off she's the man, diverged from plot quite a bit tbh, soccer players tzumihyo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25642777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeuwuahh/pseuds/likeuwuahh
Summary: dahyun's dreams that were once within reach, shatter when she's booted out of her band - all because she's a girl playing the keyboard. because, apparently, girls can't be in a band.but, her twin sister has a brilliant idea to swap spots, giving her a chance to reach her dreams.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Kim Dahyun, Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Son Chaeyoung, Myoui Mina & Park Jisoo | Jihyo & Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 3
Kudos: 161
Collections: Director's Cut Fest





	once yours (now mine)

**Author's Note:**

> written for the director's cut fest

“to keep it brief, we’re kicking you out of the band.”

in her two years of being part of the band at her university, kim dahyun never would have expected to hear those words from her bandmates, let alone, someone she’d thought of as a good friend. her mouth hangs open as she glances at the familiar faces of the team. none of them dare to look at her, fiddling with their thumbs as they let their leader speak for them.

“you’re telling me, i add no value to the band namhyun?” dahyun’s voice breaks, barely able to complete her sentence. were all the years of endless praises a lie? her confidence begins to chip away at the thought.

“we don’t need a keyboardist. we’re planning to go into the battle of the bands and we’ve collectively agreed to cut you off. it’s not a big deal. girls don’t play the keyboard, you know. it’ll kill our chances of reaching the finals.” namhyun rolls his eyes.

dahyun shakes her head, appalled by his behaviour. how had she ever considered him to be a friend when  _ this _ is his true nature. she bites back a remark, considering his hypocrisy of having a female singer in his band. her eyes burn, but she holds back her tears, not giving any of the members a chance to see her fall apart because of their decision. with a meek nod, she exits the room, manoeuvring her way through the corridors of their university.

the weight of the keyboard in her hand is more burdensome than ever. she’s overwhelmed by the desire to quit music, namhyun’s words echoing in her ears. battle of the bands has been dahyun’s dream for  _ years _ . she’d spend her entire childhood aiming to join that competition, even talking her twin sister’s ear off. 

jooyoung, her older sister (by two minutes) had always been the one to encourage her to chase her dreams, supporting her throughout the years. they may be poles apart in the way they dress but when it comes to their hearts and personalities, they’re both extremely gentle. both of them despise going out of their way to make friends, preferring to keep a small circle of people they truly trust.

(now, dahyun regrets that decision)

as she reaches her dorm room, she mulls over her choices for a few moments. without being in a band, there’s no way she’ll be able to achieve her dreams. battle of the bands is out of her reach and she has no one she can trust in this university. the few people she thought she  _ could _ trust ruined it all with a mere sentence, others not speaking up for her either. she’s appalled by their behaviour but she’s aware it’s not worth it to hold it to her heart. dahyun won’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they’ve hurt her to this extent.

heaving a sigh, dahyun jumps onto her bed face down. the tiredness from the argument is settling into her bones now. the warmth is her only comfort and she tugs on the blankets, burrowing herself underneath the pile.

her bubble of security is burst fifteen minutes later and she wraps the blankets tightly against her. dahyun groans when her sister slams the door open. she’s still not quite in the mood to talk to anyone. the rejection is pulling her apart, one string at a time. she never thought she’d be in such pain. 

"dah– hyunnie?" jooyoung rushes over to dahyun's side. "what's wrong?" 

dahyun mumbles incoherently, feeling the first of her tears begin to fall. what is it about her sister that always makes her emotionally weak. she can never hide anything from her. her concerned voice soothes dahyun enough for her to let her blankets fall. she watches as a range of emotions flash in jooyoung's eyes. 

shock. pain. worry. anger.

"what happened? did someone hurt you?" jooyoung clenches her fists, never wanting to see dahyun like this.

it makes dahyun cry harder. she’s shaking uncontrollably. how can she word her situation without breaking down in between? she's trying to muster the courage to talk but instead, is pulled into jooyoung's arms. she's hugged tightly, no words needed. her sister holds her and for the first time that day, her chest feels lighter.

she's not sure how long they stay like that, but dahyun’s roommate comes in and leaves. it's nice of her to acknowledge the situation. jooyoung only pulls back from the hug when dahyun’s stomach growls, cheeks turning red from embarrassment. usually, her sister would tease her, but she remains quiet, ordering something on her phone for them to eat.

"i got kicked out of the band." dahyun drops the issue all of a sudden.

jooyoung flinches, taken aback by dahyun’s words.

"how is that possible? you're one of the most talented keyboardists i've ever come across!" jooyoung exclaims, unbelieving of the outcome. "there's no reason for them to kick you out. namhyun has always talked highly of you."

"that's because there aren't many keyboardists out there, especially female." dahyun offers a watery smile, attempting to lighten up the situation.

"i don't believe that anyone can think you're not talented. how can someone be so low to consider gender." jooyoung furrows her eyebrows. "how did they come to such a decision?"

"namhyun made it. the others didn't say a word. apparently, i'll be the reason for their downfall and failure. no one has a keyboardist in their band. women shouldn't be in bands, especially me, since i have no talent." dahyun explains, voice softening towards the end. she's trying to ignore his words, but they're slowly piercing her confidence.

"no. this won't do. your dreams of battle of the bands won't diffuse like this." jooyoung shakes her head. "i won't let it. let me talk to him."

dahyun chuckles, appreciating her sister's motives. however, it'll be futile. she knows namhyun won't budge. she shakes her head. jooyoung looks like she's about to smack her for her decision but she relents. she wraps an arm around dahyun and kisses her head.

"maybe it was a good choice to order some fried chicken. it'll go well with the soju." jooyoung points to the brown bag by the door. dahyun hadn't even noticed its presence.

"oh, you sounded excited when you came in. what was that about?" dahyun diverts the topic of conversation.

she picks up on the hesitation in jooyoung's eyes and dahyun knows she feels wary. her sister isn't sure if she'd be okay to talk about it.

"i promise, it's fine. it'll take my mind off the stupid band." dahyun encourages jooyoung to speak. she's still a little bit hesitant. "do you want me to start crying again?"

it seems to do the trick and a smile makes way on jooyoung's face. dahyun pats her back in her mind. definitely works in her favour knowing her sister as well as she does.

"we're going on tour." jooyoung states. dahyun gasps, utterly proud of jooyoung's band. "we're going to be going around in japan. a sponsor showed interest and we picked up some gigs."

"oh my god, i'm so happy for you jooyoungie!" dahyun hugs her sister tightly, her mood shifting completely. "have you told mom and dad?"

the lack of response is an indication of her answer. their parents wouldn't be so accepting of the overseas travel, that's for sure. dahyun doesn’t know if she should encourage this. but, it's also been jooyoung's wish for years – ever since they formed their dream, basically. just like her sister has constantly been there to support her, dahyun believes she should do the same. though, some issues can’t be ignored when their parents seem to know what’s up with them in an instant.

(if one of them tries to hold a secret on their own, it’s a failure; but, if they both hold the secret together, it’s easier to have each other’s back)

"you can't just abandon university and go overseas. they both check in on you." dahyun sighs, entertaining the idea for a mere moment. "most of my classes are over or online. i don't have an issue."

suddenly, her sister's eyes light up. that's _never_ a good sign.

"why don't you come to my university. you can live with my roommate. live as me. you can join the university band! they want to go to the battle of the bands too." jooyoung suggests.

excitement bubbles in her stomach as thinks of the proposition. what if she could prove to that stupid idiot that bands are perfectly fine with a girl as a keyboardist? they can be more than just a vocal. she could rub it in his face.

"the current band has a few girls in there already. i don't know if there are more. it's whatever i've heard from my roommate." jooyoung continues on, hoping to draw dahyun in.

“what about your classes? how can you skip them? does that mean i’ll have to sit in? how am i meant to go around when i don’t know the place?” dahyun fires question after question. they need to cover all the holes in their story if they want to sell it to their parents.

“i can do it externally. i never really go to my classes anyway. and, i’ll keep chaeyoung with you. she’s my roommate.” jooyoung smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “you can’t deny that this is a good idea. it works out for both of us. i doubt mom and dad would want to see us at all. they love us, but ever since dad’s promotion, they’ve both been busy.”

“how am i meant to look like you? you don’t wear that kind of stuff.” dahyun points at her floral dress, hanging on the chair. jooyoung is more of a casual white shirt and jeans person. and, that black leather jacket of hers that she  _ adores _ . “and, our hairstyles.”

“do you want a wig? i think we can dye your hair.” jooyoung runs her fingers through dahyun’s hair, currently blonde. “green? or maybe purple.”

“do i really have to? your hair is silver!” dahyun complains. she’s never had any hair colour other than black, brown and blonde.

“i’m always changing my hair. it won’t be anything big if you have another colour.” jooyoung shoots down her worries.

“we’re really doing this.” dahyun frets, palms sweating up.

“you’ll be the perfect jooyoung.”

/

dahyun tugs on the black leather jacket, peering at the crowded hallway of the university dorms. she feels out of place, but no one is really paying attention to her. it lightens the anxiety brewing in her stomach. dahyun makes an attempt to look around for her sister’s roommate, chaeyoung. jooyoung hadn’t told her much about her roommate. apparently, she’s dahyun’s height, has a mole beside her lip and has short blond hair that comes to her shoulders.

_ no one  _ matches that criteria.

heaving a sigh, dahyun leans against a wall, running her hand through her purple locks. she scoffs under her breath. she believes she looks like a damn onion.

(she won't admit it, but it's growing on her)

she wants to call jooyoung, get her to check her roommate's whereabouts when she does a double take. a group of girls pass dahyun, talking in hushed whispers. her eyes trail, lingering on the tallest one of the bunch and she's  _ enthralled  _ by her beauty. her deep dimple showing off on the side is  _ so  _ cute. the girls are all wearing white letterman jackets, giving her an indication that they're clearly in some sports club.

as they walk off, dahyun catches sight of the jacket of the girl who drew her attention.

_ chou. _

"i would advise in keeping your mouth closed." a voice whispers into dahyun’s ear. she jumps back, holding her hand over her heart. and yes, she makes sure her mouth is closed.

a girl her height stands beside her. blonde hair. shoulder length. mole beside her lips.

"chaeyoung?" dahyun asks hesitantly.

for a moment, the girl stares at her, unresponsive. but a heartbeat later, she grins, relieving dahyun of her worries. she lets out a sigh.

"that's me. dahyun, right? nice to meet you officially." chaeyoung holds out her hand. dahyun slides her hand through. 

should they really be doing this where everyone can see and hear them? 

"so, which of the girls took your attention?" chaeyoung teases, jutting her chin in the direction the girls had gone. dahyun's face reddens quick, spreading over. she doesn’t want to say and chaeyoung picks up on it, laughing at her demise. "let me take you to jooyoung's room."

the walk is quick and soon enough, chaeyoung guides dahyun to jooyoung's side of the room. she rolls her eyes as she notices the dozens of pictures hung up on the walls. most of them include dahyun, some with chaeyoung. oh, what would happen to jooyoung's reputation if anyone caught sight of them? she pretends she's not a softie but she is a complete  _ marshmallow _ in reality.

"jooyoung filled me in on most of the information. do you think you can meet the rest of the band this afternoon? or do you want another day?" chaeyoung breaks the comfortable silence.

"wait, the rest? you're in the band?" dahyun shoots up in surprise.

chaeyoung laughs, throwing her head back. dahyun feels the tips of her ears burn red as the embarrassment creeps in.

"i play drums. and i do a little bit of song writing on the side." chaeyoung fiddles with one of her drumsticks, twisting it between her fingers.

dahyun is in awe, amazed by her skills. the look of creative freedom is something she envies and chaeyoung radiates with happiness, pride. she wishes she had half of that joy running through her again. flashes of what namhyun had said runs through her mind, a rewound vhs video tape.

"dahyun, are you okay?" chaeyoung crouches beside dahyun, worry evident in her tone.

"it's just a shock to me. i'm not used to seeing girls in bands." dahyun rubs the back of her neck in shame. "there were only two of us at my previous university and even then, they weren't very happy with our presence."

"well, damn. i think you're going to get the shock of your life when you see the rest of the band." chaeyoung whistles.

/

it’s true.

dahyun has to do a double take when she walks into the practice room with chaeyoung two hours later. the room is already set up with all the equipment, a few members of the band loitering around and jamming with each other.

they’re all girls.

not a single man in the band. not in the room. nowhere in sight. dahyun’s mouth hangs open as she counts the number of band members. there’s five there, including chaeyoung. she looks to her new roommate, still in awe over the situation. she smiles widely at dahyun, patting her shoulder in an attempt to be understanding. this is different, a good different.

“oh, jooyoung. what are you doing here?” one of the girls asks, the room growing quiet upon her speaking.

dahyun forgets she's meant to be acting as her sister. her eyebrows furrow, confuzzled on being called the wrong name. but, she's elbowed by chaeyoung and she curses under her breath, rubbing the sore spot on the side of her abdomen.

_ calm and straight to the point. calm and straight to the point. _

"to audition, of course." dahyun deadpans. from the corner of her eyes, she spots chaeyoung holding back a smile. is that a good reaction or a bad one?

"we know how good you are. you can join in without that whole process. it's not like we've had a lot of applicants." another girl speaks up, being shushed by the previous speaker.

of course, they know of jooyoung and her amazing talent. though, she doubts they're aware of these supposed keyboard skills. dahyun can pass this off as a hidden card of hers – and jooyoung's.

"i don't think you've heard me play on the keyboard. i want to earn my spot without jumping in. do you mind if i play?" dahyun pitches, pointing to the bag on her shoulder.

she receives encouraging nods and it's enough for her to start unpacking, setting up her space. curious eyes land on her but it doesn’t faze dahyun. she draws in a deep breath, calms her unsettling nerves. 

namhyun’s face flashes before her eyes. her cloud of fears disperse immediately as soon as she runs her fingers along the keys. dahyun lets the music overtake her being as she closes her eyes. she focuses on her fingers. the melody. the frustration of her ex-friend's hypocrisy. she uses the keys as her medium of expression and she doesn't fail to impress.

as her piece comes to an end, dahyun finally opens her eyes, greeted with the sight of the other women, glancing at her with utter amazement. one by one, each of them clap slowly, praising her for her flawless talent. being spoiled with such appreciation catches dahyun off-guard. she’s not accustomed to this, receiving few compliments from the group she'd come from. jooyoung always loves sharing the sentiment, but it's harder for her to acknowledge. siblings are always more biased than others.

"i don't think we can let you go. you're definitely in the band; i'm floored for words. it was a beautiful piece jooyoung."

"thank you…" dahyun trails off, realising she doesn't know anyone's names in the room other than chaeyoung.

"i would have expected chaeyoung to introduce us to you, but i guess she forgot." the same girl speaks, shooting glares at chaeyoung. "hi, i'm nayeon. i'm the lead vocalist. thank you for showcasing your skills so brilliantly! i've never come across such raw talent."

she talks a lot. but, in an endearing way. nayeon is extra sweet, saccharine dripping off her words. but, dahyun can tell, she's the one who brings the brightened mood to the group. definitely one to offer a lot of encouragement to do better.

"momo, bass."

well, a women of few words. dahyun would be the same if the spots were reversed.

"hi jooyoung! i'm sana and i'm the lead guitarist." she looks as if she's about to hug dahyun, only to be tugged back by the bassist.

"let her be. i don't think anyone wants a hug after meeting for the first time." momo discourages, wrapping her arms securely around sana.

"yes momo-ring, i'll save them for you." sana giggles, incredibly infectious. it's to the extent that dahyun almost breaks character, keeping her face straight with much difficulty. without a doubt, dahyun  _ knows _ there's something brewing there.

"please, ignore them. they're the chaotic ones in the band. nice to have you with us jooyoung. i'm jeongyeon, rhythm guitarist and also vocalist."

for some reason, this girl, out of all the others, sends off waves of comfort. she believes it's the green hair, reminding her of jooyoung's colourfulness. dahyun thinks she could be a mentor, someone to look up to. and the soft smile she sends in dahyun’s direction only reaffirms that notion.

"you already know me but nayeon will have my head if i don't do this properly. i'm chaeyoung, drummer and lyricist."

"self-proclaimed." jeongyeon corrects her.

chaeyoung grumbles, accepting the adjustment. "yes, self-proclaimed lyricist."

it's endearing watching them all interact. like a family. dahyun has never really been able to see such a sight, let alone experience that. as they begin to bring her in to the conversation, her heart swells. being unable to express her gratitude is frustrating, but she'll get around to it. jooyoung is good at expressing through actions. that's dahyun’s only solution.

/

practice runs frequently over the week. every day, dahyun spends her afternoon with the band, sometimes jamming, other times simply relaxing after a long day.

(not for her, of course)

she stays silent, observing everyone around her. chaeyoung gives her pointers on her replication of jooyoung's personality. apparently, she’s been doing an amazing job. no one has yet to realise the difference and dahyun takes that as a win.

over the few weeks, dahyun gets to know the members a little bit at a time. she learns that nayeon has the biggest soft spot for chaeyoung. it’s subtle until she catches nayeon gazing at her roommate longingly one afternoon. dahyun didn’t even need to say a word for nayeon to spill everything about her appreciation for the youngest in the group. though, dahyun’s still unsure if nayeon is restraining herself from speaking her  _ true _ feelings.

momo is quiet unless someone starts becoming too clingy with sana. it’s almost as if she can tear them apart with her mere eyes. it turns out that their relationship is one of tenderness. momo shows her affection in the form of small, generous actions. like, offering her water bottle to use. or, hugging sana tightly when she’s feeling extra cold. they’re not dating yet, but they seem like they are. is the label really that important?

when dahyun gets to know sana, it’s a lot like being hit with endless love; a constant ray of sunshine. she never waits for dahyun to speak but has taken it upon herself to share stories about her day. it’s endearing, dahyun decides. the part that least surprises her is that it seems she has a clear view of her future with momo by her side. but, dahyun is unaware of how to break the news to momo; sana thinks they’re dating.

(she does end up telling her and momo chokes on her drink, running off to sort whatever needs to be sorted between them without letting dahyun finish her sentence.

sana corners her later in the day with a deathly glare and dahyun almost believes she’d chosen to do the wrong thing. but, sana hugs her instead, thanking her over and over for giving momo the push that she needed)

it turns out jeongyeon is a closet soccer fan.  _ or,  _ she has a crush on someone on the team and goes to the game for the sake of the player. dahyun has lost count of the amount of times she’s heard jeongyeon argue with other people about the talent running through the veins of the entire soccer team. the redness creeping down her neck gives her away. her last belief is that she’s dating someone who’s on the team.

somehow, it’s only dahyun who sees her secret glances towards the girl wearing the  _ park _ jersey.

/

the shouting echoes in her ears. there are possibly more than a hundred students filling up the spots in their stadium. jeongyeon is busy cheering on her left and will most likely be the cause of her deafness. out of everyone in the band, for some odd reason, jeongyeon chose to ask dahyun to join her to watch the next home match for their university soccer team. 

yet, dahyun doesn’t quite know what she’s doing here. maybe she knew jeongyeon would be teased endlessly. one thing is for certain, dahyun is sure that jooyoung would  _ never _ step foot inside such a place. her character on this campus is fairly secretive. never one to go to small tournaments like this. but, dahyun can sacrifice some time for a fellow band member. 

of course, it’s not for the girl wearing the number twenty-five jersey.

dahyun finds herself extremely drawn by that player. her moves are smooth and she’s always in the right place at the right time. a team player. she’s enjoying the sight, beginning to cheer for the team, a little less loudly compared to jeongyeon. if her bandmate notices, she doesn’t speak of it. her eyes remain trained on the  _ park  _ jersey. though, what takes dahyun off-guard is her lack of realisation. had she been  _ so _ busy that she hadn’t noticed jeongyeon’s shirt?

the thirty-seven on her back had another name on the top.  _ myoui. _

it takes all of five seconds for dahyun to piece it together. she spots the same number on the field, the same name too. god, jeongyeon didn’t have one girlfriend. she has two.

“oh my god.” dahyun mutters under her breath. jeongyeon flinches beside her, acutely aware that her words are directed towards her. “you have two girlfriends.”

jeongyeon smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. she’s not embarrassed, simply caught out on her (poorly) hidden secret. either the other girls knew about it already and didn’t want to mention it  _ or  _ they’re terrible at picking up on jeongyeon’s lovesick gazes towards her girlfriends in the hall. either way, dahyun is absolutely impressed.

“no one else knows because they don’t usually come to the games with me. you’re the first of them all.” jeongyeon sighs defeatedly. “i know i won’t hear the end of it once i tell them. i’m enjoying the few weeks of peace before i drop the bomb.”

“i’m flattered to share a secret.” dahyun smiles at her reassuringly. she’s not going to go off and spill the beans. after all, she’s also harbouring a massive secret from everyone else in the band. maybe, this is a chance for her to lighten the burden. “i’m holding one too.”

for a moment, bits of regret begin to form in her mind. but, when she looks at jeongyeon’s face, laced with concern, it subsides. she tells her everything, including her time at the university beforehand. dahyun observes her reaction as she gauges for signs of disappointment. none is present and dahyun  _ almost _ tears up. the warm welcome had already been plenty. this additional inclusivity is not one she’d expected.

“i always thought you seemed a little different from jooyoung.” jeongyeon laughs, patting dahyun’s head. “now i feel like we need to win this competition. if not that, we need to beat your old group. and, maybe you should tell the other girls too. i promise you, we won’t leave your side. if anything else, they’ll support you and dote on you more.”

dahyun grimaces. does she  _ really _ want to deal with that? it’s nice not having the extra attention on her for now. they know to leave her be. she lets out a sigh, nodding along to jeongyeon’s words. her chest feels lighter tenfold already. she can only imagine the relief when she tells the others.

someone clears their throat near them and dahyun bites back an amused grin as jeongyeon jumps up to hug her girlfriends. their eyes are on dahyun though, both glaring at her.

_ ah _ .

they must’ve seen jeongyeon pat her head.

“hi, i’m jeongyeon’s new bandmate.” dahyun introduces herself. the girls are taken aback by her greeting, angry facades dissolving.

“this is jooyoung– wait.” jeongyeon looks to dahyun for permission to correct her and she nods. “this is dahyun.”

“jooyoung’s twin.” dahyun explains, ridding the confusion on the girls’ faces.

“sorry, we thought you were someone else trying to flirt with her. i’m jihyo and this is mina.” she points at the ginger-haired girl next to her for clarification. it’s the number twenty-one jersey owner speaks first. dahyun recognises her as the one wearing the  _ park _ letterman jacket from earlier. “actually, jeongyeon has been going off about this really cute addition to the band. says you’re overflowing with talent.”

the compliment renders dahyun speechless. jeongyeon really thinks of her in such a high manner? she looks to jeongyeon, soft smile gracing her lips.

“dahyun, what do you think of joining us for dinner? our way of apologising for having to deal with jeongyeon’s off-key cheering throughout the game. you’re officially the first member she’s had the courage to bring.” mina teases, jeongyeon whining being on the receiving end. “we might have another person joining us too.”

“that sounds lovely.” dahyun agrees within a heartbeat. jeongyeon wraps her arm around her shoulders, guiding her to her car.

dahyun can get used to this.

/

it turns out that the person joining them later for dinner is none other than another teammate of jihyo’s and mina’s.

specifically, it’s the number twenty-five bearing player. the one dahyun knows as  _ chou _ . dahyun lets out a curse under her breath as the girl sits across from her. curse her luck. she doesn’t even want to look up at all.

“tzuyu! you made it. did coach want to talk to you again?” jihyo bombards her with a question before she can settle down.

“just helped them pack up before coming. they were short-handed.” tzuyu sighs, stretching her back.

“of course. your long hands must’ve been very useful.” jeongyeon jokes. everyone cringes at the pun as soon as it leaves her lips.

“did you guys get another girlfriend?” tzuyu deadpans as she points at dahyun.

“oh my  _ god _ tzuyu. you can’t just say that!” jihyo hisses as a flush of red spreads down dahyun’s neck. she looks to dahyun, offers her an apology. “this is jeongyeon’s new band mate.”

this time, it’s tzuyu’s turn to turn crimson. dahyun watches in amusement as she scrambles to find the right words in an attempt to justify herself.  _ cute _ . when a minute later, tzuyu still doesn’t speak, dahyun chooses to bite the bullet herself.

“hi, i’m dahyun.” she introduces. from the side of her eye, dahyun notices jeongyeon’s gaze on her she turns, greeted with a smile filled with pride.

“dahyun? but you look like jooyoung.” tzuyu tilts her head in confusion.

dahyun laughs as she begins to tell the story again, a third time for that day. the burden on her shoulders lighten as the girls listen to her talk, vowing to never let anyone hurt dahyun again. the anger in their eyes takes her off-guard. she’d never expected to find such understanding people around her. people she could share this secret with. she feels  _ so _ warm being surrounded by all this love. dahyun refuses to believe that any of them could have a bad bone in their body.

the topic shifts from there and they never speak of it again for the rest of the evening. even though dahyun remains quiet for a large remainder of the night, she realises, tzuyu does the same. it’s the boisterous duo, jeongyeon and jihyo making most of the conversation. mina occasionally butts in the conversation here and there, but tends to spend her time watching her girlfriends with fondness and adoration.

when it reaches close to eleven, dahyun feels the tiredness seep into her body. it’s been an exhausting afternoon for her. she takes the chance to leave, being engulfed in a series of hugs and receiving pats on her head. she barely steps out of the restaurant when dahyun hears someone call out for her. she whips around, doing a double take when it’s tzuyu who’s calling for her.

“how are you getting home? you can’t possibly be thinking of catching public transport at this time.” tzuyu catches on her intentions quickly. “let me drop you back to campus.”

“i can’t cause a hassle like that, tzuyu. i’ll catch a bus.” dahyun points to the bus stop a few metres away. it’s not well-lit and there aren’t many people around  _ but  _ she doesn’t want to make tzuyu go out of her way to drop her.

“i live in the dorms too. come on. i’ll take you.” tzuyu wraps her hand around dahyun’s wrist gently, in the direction of her parked car. when she still seems a little hesitant, tzuyu pauses again. “i promise i won’t hurt you. it’s just that it’s late and i wouldn’t want you to travel alone. especially around this area.”

“oh, no! i know you wouldn’t. i just don’t want to be a bother.” dahyun offers a lame excuse. she really doesn’t think she can manage to sit in a car alone with tzuyu without being a mess of awkwardness. she’s not the best at making conversation.

“don’t be silly. you’re not a bother. it’ll ease my heart if i take you, please? my way of apologising for earlier.” tzuyu pleads with dahyun. she makes the  _ awful _ decision to look into tzuyu’s eyes because it’s almost as if she’s pulling puppy-dog eyes on her.

(and dahyun can’t resist)

she nods, smiling as tzuyu cheers in victory. they walk together slowly and dahyun is surprised by how easygoing their conversation is, flowing smoothly. a sudden gust of wind has dahyun shuddering. she rubs her arms in an attempt to garner some heat. her shoulders feel heavier a moment later and dahyun realises there’s something placed upon her shoulders.

tzuyu’s jacket.

(neither of them speak about it)

the drive to the campus is shorter than dahyun expects. she’s sulking as she steps out of the car, enjoying her time with tzuyu. dahyun shrugs the jacket off her shoulders to hand it back to tzuyu, only for it to be denied.

“keep it. i’ll come by band practice later and pick it up. you’re walking up to your room anyway.” tzuyu smiles, waving at dahyun as she exits the carpark.

dahyun stands there for a whole minute. had that really just happened? she tugs the jacket around her, zipping it up to keep the cold away as much as she can. thankfully, chaeyoung is asleep by the time she reaches her room. she’s not sure if she could handle any teasing after the ride home with tzuyu. undoubtedly, she’ll be suffering tomorrow morning when she spots that jacket. but, dahyun doesn’t really mind. it’s the first time in a while she feels so happy and relaxed. she wouldn’t want to trade this feeling with anything else in the world.

/

(she spends an hour the next morning talking to chaeyoung about everything that happened during the night and she’s teased endlessly for the rest of the day.

she also speaks to the girls about her past band mates and they all welcome her with open arms, exactly like jeongyeon had said. sana, being the only one to erupt into tears after hearing about the mistreatment.

now none of them stop cooing over her, all vowing to protect her from anything  _ and _ everything.

yes, dahyun has regrets, but this definitely isn’t one of them)

/

dahyun eagerly waits for tzuyu’s arrival every time she attends practice. she still hasn’t returned and she can’t help the doubt beginning to brew in her head. had she forgotten all about it?

as if sensing her troubles, nayeon sits her down after one of their sessions, wanting dahyun to be able to confide in her when necessary. when everyone leaves the room, leaving the two alone, dahyun chooses to express her worries.

at first, nayeon giggles, gushing over how cute dahyun is. but, she encourages her to wait it out. the soccer team are a little bit busy with training too, apparently. they have a big game coming up soon against one of their long-time rivals. nayeon encourages dahyun to attend the game, exactly what she’s been considering as soon as nayeon brought up the issue. it would be nice, dahyun agrees. and, at least she’ll have jeongyeon to go with.

“i can go with you too, if you want.” nayeon offers suspiciously. dahyun squints, trying to figure out how chaeyoung could be related to the game.

“what is it? what’s chaeyoung doing?” dahyun questions nayeon. her mouth hangs open in surprise, not expecting to be caught out on her request.

with a grumble, nayeon gives in. apparently, chaeyoung created the new banner for the supporters for their university team. it may seem trivial, but dahyun thinks it’s cute. she hears all about how chaeyoung hasn’t been spending time with nayeon because of the project. and now, nayeon is whining, with hopes that going to the game with chaeyoung will give them some time to spend together.

one thing is for sure; chaeyoung is as dense as a rock.

/

dahyun shakes her right leg as she sits in the stands with jeongyeon, nayeon and chaeyoung. she rests her hand atop, drumming her fingers against her knee.

“god, dahyun. breathe. it’ll be okay, i promise. we’re with you.” being on her right, nayeon holds her hand, calming her nerves a little bit.

jeongyeon cheers loudly all of a sudden and dahyun’s breath picks up, the university team running onto the field. she searches for the familiar  _ chou _ jersey, taking her barely a minute to find her. dahyun watches as the girls wave to the crowd, slowly making their way around the stadium. a part of her wants tzuyu to look this way while another doesn’t.

“woo!!” jeongyeon shouts, jumping out of her seat. her loudness gains the attention of half the team and dahyun watches in slow motion as tzuyu turns too. oh, she’s decided that she really hates jeongyeon. 

“are you always this embarrassing?” nayeon hisses, chaeyoung laughing at her demise. “i feel sorry for your girlfriends.”

oh, jeongyeon had told them about her girlfriends too. dahyun applauded her for her efforts of evading nayeon’s ear pulling after not telling her about it earlier. it was an amusing sight to witness, one that reminds her not to be on nayeon’s bad side.

“i want to cheer for them! what’s the problem?” jeongyeon sulks, sitting down. 

but, her mood shifts a heartbeat later when the girls send her flying kisses from the field. nayeon groans at the lovesick smile on her friend’s face.

dahyun had been so busy looking between jeongyeon and mina and jihyo, she hadn’t noticed tzuyu’s eyes on her. when dahyun locks eyes with tzuyu, she waves at her excitedly, grinning widely. it takes dahyun a moment to process and she glances at nayeon and jeongyeon, wondering if tzuyu had been waving at them instead.

“of course she’s waving at you, silly.” nayeon rolls her eyes. “wave back!”

dahyun hurriedly waves back, trying to hide her reddening cheeks. it’s a good thing jeongyeon is already pre-occupied by her girlfriends to tease her. nayeon and chaeyoung giving her knowing looks is definitely more than enough for her.

at half-time, chaeyoung and jeongyeon leave for a few minutes, nayeon remaining alone with dahyun. she watches as nayeon’s gaze lingers on chaeyoung, interacting with a few of the team supporters who are holding on to the banner chaeyoung had made. their eyes shine with admiration as they talk to chaeyoung and dahyun feels the atmosphere shift beside her, nayeon glowering at the girls.

“i’ve only been rooming with her for a month but it’s enough for me to know how oblivious she can be.” dahyun sighs, disappointed in her fellow roommate. “you need to lay it out for her in black and white or else it’ll fly over her head. i doubt she even realises those girls are flirting with her right now.”

“dahyun…” nayeon warns, grinding her teeth to keep her cool. “not helping.”

“she’s not doing anything! that’s a sign.” dahyun encourages. but, chaeyoung laughs in that instant and everything flies out of the window.

“ugh. i’m going to go for a walk to cool off. she’s so annoying.” nayeon gets up and maneuvers her way out of the crowd. dahyun doesn’t go after her, knowing she’s not the right person for comfort right now.

when chaeyoung returns a few minutes later, she frowns, unsure about where nayeon had gone. she looks between the seat and the crowd, letting out a resigned sigh when she can’t find her in her sights. “i just went for a bit, where did she go?” she mumbles to herself.

“she walked off somewhere. she didn’t say where, just something about cooling off.” dahyun informs her. she watches as the wheel turn in chaeyoung’s head and she rushes out of the stadium. 

well, now she’s sitting here alone.

the game resumes a few minutes later, though and jeongyeon returns, smudged lipstick and all. dahyun rolls her eyes when jeongyeon offers her a sheepish grin. of course, she’d leave to kiss her girlfriends before they continue the second half of their game.

their university teams ends up finishing 1– 0, earning them a well deserved victory. as the crowd disperses, dahyun is surprised jeongyeon gets up to leave instead of meeting her girlfriends.

“they have a team dinner. we’ll probably not be able to see them anytime soon.” jeongyeon mumbles. “that’s why i met the earlier.”

the two of them leave the stadium being the last few people remaining. they’re about to sit in her car when someone screams out for her.

“jeongie!” jihyo runs to them, mina and tzuyu trailing behind. jeongyeon just manages to keep her bearings in check when her girlfriend jumps into her arms, peppering her with kisses. mina shakes her head at the duo and waits for them to settle down before getting her kisses too.

dahyun watches jeongyeon’s flustered state in amusement, knowing she has another thing to use against her in the future. tzuyu sidles up beside her quietly. she grimaces as jihyo lands a sound kiss against jeongyeon’s cheek.

“they’re so grossly cute.” tzuyu shudders, looking away.

“hello to you too.” dahyun chuckles, agreeing with her statement nonetheless. “you guys played well today.”

“really? it didn’t quite feel like it. we were stumbling around a little.” tzuyu sighs, running her hand through her hair. “but it means a lot coming from you. thank you for coming to watch us play today. it’s always nice to see familiar faces in the crowd.”

“it’s only my second match but i can tell you guys worked hard. don’t be disheartened that much.” dahyun encourages. “and, hopefully you can return the favour when we go for the first leg of our band competition.” she adds.

“oh? when’s that? i’ll definitely come.” tzuyu nods enthusiastically.

“next friday. i’m pretty sure jihyo and mina are coming too.” dahyun finds her excitement adorable. “i’ll text you the address.”

dahyun applauds her smooth skills, offering her phone for tzuyu to enter her number into. she tries to remain calm as she trades numbers but her heart skips a beat when she sees the white heart next to her name on tzuyu’s phone.

“i’ll see you on friday then!” tzuyu waves, pulling jihyo and mina with her.

it dawns on her then; she’d forgotten to return tzuyu’s jacket.

/

friday rolls around quicker than she expects and dahyun stands with her band members, a long queue in front of her. she spots her old band mates and turns away, not in the mood to even look at them. she focuses on the girls with her, all huddled together. a hand reaches out for hers, dahyun realises it’s momo’s. she’s pulled into the group and out of her thoughts.

“we’re going to do our best tonight and we’re going to show them what we’ve got. we’re going to show everyone a band can have girls. we don’t need boys.” nayeon chants, encouraging everyone. “we’re in it to win it. i know we can do it.”

“let’s have fun too, don’t forget.” jeongyeon adds.

“they won’t know what’s hit ‘em.” momo growls, sounding way too cute to be intimidating. her tone melts away as soon as sana kisses her cheek.

“i believe in us. we can show these people what they’re missing out on.” chaeyoung nods with determination.

“i’m happy i’m here with you guys. i wouldn’t want to be elsewhere.” sana looks around the circle of girls.

“hyun, are you okay?” chaeyoung asks, slipping her hand through dahyun’s. she squeezes it lightly and dahyun musters the courage to smile.

“we can do this. we’re a team.” dahyun sighs, rewarded with proud smiles from the others. she feels a sense of relief from the comfort they radiate, soothing her anxiety.

an attendant walks up to them then, telling them they’ll be next. the six of them carry their instruments to the curtains. dahyun’s phone vibrates in her back pocket and she pulls it out, immediately smiling when she reads the message.

**Tzu #25** **  
** _ good luck!! i believe in you. we’re standing _ _  
_ _ towards the back but at least my height _ __  
_ gives me an advantage to see you kill _ _  
_ __ it tonight. you got this.

dahyun lets out a deep breath and rolls her shoulders back. as soon as she steps onto the stage she finds tzuyu with ease. not because of her height but because of jihyo and mina, both sporting light up headbands in support of her girlfriend. tzuyu stands right beside them, offering dahyun a thumbs up as she sets up her keyboard.

confirming the start, they all nod to chaeyoung, who begins tapping her drumsticks. seamlessly, like the countless hours of practice during the week, they follow her beats. as soon as nayeon’s voice fills up the venue, the crowd begins to cheer, boosting their confidence even more. sana’s guitar riffs in the middle of the song brings a smile on everyone’s faces. the way she becomes so assertive when she has that guitar in her hand always takes dahyun by surprise. she’s in her element and soon enough, momo joins her, along with jeongyeon. dahyun jams with them, encouraging smiles on their faces as they face her. the crowd whoop out loud, chanting for more by the end of the performance.

dahyun has never felt  _ this _ good. amazing.

“did you hear those cheers? so good! they were even asking for more.” nayeon gasps as they rush off stage for the next contestants. “you all did such an outstanding job. i’m proud of you girls.”

they stay grouped until the announcements, now allowed to stay with the rest of the crowd. the six of them seek out jihyo, mina and tzuyu, immediately greeted with plenty of compliments from the three. dahyun couldn’t keep the smile off her face with the endless praise. maybe, this could be the best decision she’s ever made.

“you were really cool up there.” tzuyu compliments dahyun directly. “the six of you work well together. i would pay to watch that performance.”

“thank you for coming out here to watch us. i was that comfortable on stage because i knew i had friends watching me and cheering for me.” dahyun expresses her gratitude. she’s about to say something else when she’s pushed all of a sudden, tumbling into tzuyu’s arms.

steady hands keep her in place and dahyun turns around to see who had pushed her. she scoffs when she notices that it’s namhyun, out of all the possible people. he walks away, but his eyes are still on dahyun. she realises, tzuyu is still keeping her close. she almost gasps when tzuyu leans down to whisper in her ear. “is that the douche– bag band mate?”

“yep. seems like he’s a little bit salty.” dahyun shakes her head.

“well, he should be. shouldn’t have let such talent out of his hands.” tzuyu scoffs, glaring at him. 

dahyun chuckles, cooing over tzuyu’s cuteness. she can’t help herself. she pinches her cheeks, ignoring her whines of protest. “you’re really sweet.”

/

(they end up coming out on top for the competition and namhyun’s band is eliminated for the rest of the stages)

/

“so, the soccer team are having a kissing booth for a fundraiser today.” jeongyeon casually begins to discuss. they’re all lounging around instead of practicising, the next round of the competition being over a week away.

“huh? and your girlfriends are joining?” nayeon does a double take, sitting up immediately.

“of course not. it’s just the single ones.” jeongyeon rolls her eyes. “well, at least i think so. that’s what they told me.”

“oh wait. you know what that means?” chaeyoung butts in, sitting on nayeon’s lap, wrapping nayeon’s arms around her waist.

(when had that happened? dahyun seems to have missed that out)

she glowers at nayeon who shrugs her shoulders as an apology. chaeyoung didn’t seem to realise her automatic reaction, once again oblivious to everyone around her.

“yes chaeng, what does that mean?” nayeon encourages her to finish her sentence.

“tzuyu will be at the booth! let’s take dahyun.” chaeyoung’s statement has everyone looking at dahyun. a moment of silence passes by before everyone erupts in cheers.

“wait, what if it’s not her shift?” dahyun stammers, trying to find an excuse to escape.

“i can ask jihyo for the roster. give me a sec.” jeongyeon is already on her phone before dahyun can stop her.

on the side, sana is already gushing over how cute the two of them are. momo smiling softy at dahyun to settle the unease forming in the pit of her stomach. this sounds like an incredibly terrible idea and dahyun would rather disappear from this room than step outside and go to that booth. what if this ruins everything they’ve just started to form between them?

“got it. tzuyu’s shift starts in an hour.” jeongyeon announces. “let’s get you ready.”

“ready for what? can’t i just stay here? i don’t want to ruin things.” dahyun whines, ignoring the sighs of disapproval from the others.

“it’s just going to be a kiss. you’re not dating. you’re not getting married. just. a. kiss.” nayeon emphasises, knocking on dahyun’s head.

forty minutes later, the five of them are trailing dahyun as she walks into the courtyard on campus. stalls are set up here and there, run by other players from the soccer team. jihyo and mina seem to be in charge of the merchandise store for the day. they stop by for a little bit, neither of the two players speaking a single word about tzuyu and dahyun really appreciates it.

the kissing booth isn’t that busy when dahyun spots it for the first time. one of the other girls are seated while tzuyu waits in line behind her. a whirl of doubt brews again and she turns around, right into momo’s arms. she tilts her head as she looks at dahyun, opening her mouth to say something, but resisting. she lets dahyun speak first.

“i’m scared.” dahyun whispers. “i could ruin this.”

momo nods, clearly understanding her feelings. she points to sana, reminding dahyun of their relationship. “that’s exactly what i said for a very long time. i justified that she’ll always be here. i’ll be okay if she’s my friend. but, it wasn’t a nice feeling. seeing her with others made me anxious. and i had no right to feel that way. we stayed the same and we never said anything. that line between friendship and relationship blurred for us. i don’t want you to live with regret, missing years of something beautiful because of that fear. you helped us unite, i want you to take the same advice for yourself. you two  _ are _ friends. there  _ is _ something else there. we all saw it the day of the competition.”

dahyun nods, taking in momo’s words with admiration. if she chickens out now, she can lose a chance to be with tzuyu.

“we’re with you in this. and no matter what happens, we’ll cheer you on. tzuyu is getting up there right now.” momo points. “before anyone else gets there, i want you to listen to your heart. it knows you the best.”

she reaches forward and hugs momo tightly, appreciating the vote of confidence. dahyun lets out a shaky breath as she heads towards the kissing booth, fisting the note in her pocket. she slips it towards the person at the cashier, not even bothering to grab her change.

tzuyu looks surprised to see her there before smiling softly at dahyun. she looks behind her, checks for the queue before she slides over the table to stand next to dahyun. for a moment, they both stand there, too nervous to do anything. but then dahyun laughs, licking her lips. she inches closer to tzuyu, gripping on to the side of her jersey. tzuyu meets her halfway, kissing her gently. she cradles dahyun’s face between her hands, pressing back harder when she’s tugged close. dahyun loses track of how many kisses they’ve shared, but, nothing has come close to the softness of tzuyu’s lips.

the kiss quickly shifts from soft to one that lingers. neither of the two want to pull back, chasing the cloud-nine feeling of bliss. tzuyu is the one who pulls back first, leaning her forehead against dahyun’s. she threads their fingers together, kissing dahyun’s knuckles slowly.

“you know that you didn’t have to pay to kiss me, right? i would have done it for free.” tzuyu teases.

“whatever.” dahyun grumbles, leaning on her tip toes to kiss tzuyu again. she tugs her down by the collar of her jersey. “i still need to get my money’s worth.”

/

the last stage of the competition, two months on and dahyun is just as nervous as she was during their first. when she steps on stage to hear the final result, she seeks out tzuyu again, who’s already staring back at her. dahyun shakes her head at the sight.  _ of course, _ she’ll be roped into wearing those silly light up headbands.

nayeon slips her hand through her empty left, jeongyeon on dahyun’s other side. this could be it. they could win this.

“it was a tough call for the judges to make this evening. for the first time in years, we’ve had two bands with such close scores. however, the team that wins tonight is the team that have show persistent talent and growth. they’ve showed they can face challenges head on. they’ve showed they can break the boundaries. the winner for this year’s battle of the bands is **love line** !”

the six of them cheer, hugging each other tightly. they did it. they did it all together. there were six of them, but the three others were the best supporters they could have. 

nine of them, together.

as dahyun rushes off stage, tzuyu is there to hug her tightly, congratulating her. she rewards dahyun with a kiss, keeping her close.

“did you ever have any intention of returning my jacket?” tzuyu mumbles, accepting the fate of her letterman jacket which dahyun is wearing.

“it’s mine now.” dahyun laughs, zipping it up.

tzuyu crinkles her nose and agrees. “it looks better on you anyway.”


End file.
